236 TREATMENT OF THE 



by a bad system of pruning, had branches 

 near the stem of the tree destitute of bearing 

 wood for two, three, and four feet; and when 

 this is the case, it is with very great diffi- 

 culty that a suitable supply can be reco- 

 vered. 



The mode of treatment recommended, and 

 practised by some persons, of leaving wholly 

 unshortened at the winter regulation of the 

 trees, all the wood which is retained for 

 bearing the following year, very much pro- 

 motes the naked state of the branches as 

 before described. 



I have tried such a system of management 

 and with all the efforts I could make, I 

 never could keep the tree properly furnished 

 with bearing wood for many successive years, 

 because the leading bud always pushed a 

 shoot the first and then three or four more 

 near the top; and by the sap finding such 

 ready means of being employed in those 

 new shoots, the lower part was nearly always 

 destitute of them. Not only is particular 

 attention required to the obtaining and pre- 

 serving bearing wood in the situations de- 

 scribed, but also in retaining a proper supply 

 for bearing fruit the following year. The 

 distance which I consider best is, to have 

 all the young wood trained at four inches 

 apart, for when they are much nearer than 

 this, the shoots crowd each other, because 

 in summer one or two shoots are required to 



